Ok, I really need your help I was asked by a girl I performed close-up magic to do her younger brother's birthday party. But here's the thing I have never done a party or a paid performance before. But I really want to do this party and the person is going to pay me 50 dollars for 20 minutes. I need to get a few good effects for this party, that will last a while and are visual for kids, but I want to make some profit so I don't want to spend 50 dollars buying stuff and then get paid that at the party. Please respond if you have any ideas guys! Thanks.

I believe this should be in the kid shows forum...... but anyways......unless you're going to do walk around I wouldn't use cards or coins...... maybe ..... depending on the age group..... you could do walk around and do whatever effects you feel like......to whoever you feel like.... trust me at times you'll have a ton of people around........ I did a friend's reception after his wedding for $300 for two and a half hours of walk around....... and it was great because at the time I was used to street magic and strolling...... hope this helps

So what you are saying is that you don't have a show but you're going to do it anyway to make the almighty buck. Well, sounds like you are a bit of a rip off.
I'm sure after this show this same girl will never talk to you again. It takes money to make it, and if you think that anyone on here with any common sense is going to give you their show because you are to lazy or just a rip off to work on your own, I should think not. Unless they are like you.
People like yourself gives children performers a bad name. When she ask you if you could do it, a real performer or her friend would say "Sure, but I'll do it for free since I need the practice and I have no idea what I am doing." How can you accept money from her when you have no show!
And why should any of us give away our long hours of practice to help you rip someone off and make the rest of us look like crap!

I am glad someone said something because it took me months to put a good show together and if your a walk around magician you shouldnt be taking stage and kid show Gigs................ Instead of going out and doing a terrible show just so you can make a buck let us professional children magicians handle it...........

Ryanwink,
Thanks, a lot of these people could care less about quality, they only worry about quanity (cash) all the while ruining anyone else a chance to do shows. Cause you can bet that after he does a crappy job, anyone who witnesses his show will probably never use a Kid's performer again.
They'll go to Chucky Cheese's the next time.
Essentially, he is making $150.00 an hour (according to him) and he is going to put on a $1.50 show. He doesn't even want to spend money on making it a good show. I bet he calls himself a professional....a professional rip off!

Hey Sluggo I really don't appreciate you attacking me like that when you have no clue as to what you are even talking about. All I asked for a was few effect that you guys can recommned, if you even read what I wrote. And yes I told the girl I would tell her by next week if I could do it or not, because I have not done a kid's show and don't know if I cam come up with the material I need in time. And no, I don't call my self a professional because I have not done a profession performance. I know I made it sound like I was in it for the money in my first post, but I was very excited seeing how this was the first time I have ever been offered to be paid for my magic. Maybe I'll take your little piece of advice that you gave in between attcking me the whole post, and not even helping me out like I thought a real fellow magician would do and take the show for less money or even none at all.

The trouble is that we see post after post like this. I have a show; please tell me some tricks to do.

We rarely see something like this: "Hey, guys. In six months I might like to start doing some kids shows. Are there any resources that can help me get started?" I think we would fall over dead.

It is one thing to show a short string of tricks to one or two people at a time--friends or family. It is completely different trying to do a whole kid's show. Every thing in the show has to be choreographed, from your body movements to your script. It is hard, and not always intuitive, knowing how to hold a prop so everyone can see what you are doing. How do you manage the kids so they don't push, pummel, or generally goof around during your show? How do you manage the adults, who may want to run off to another room to chitchat while the magician/babysitter watches the little tykes? How do you keep the attention of 15 kids for the whole show?

Doing any kind of show is an investment. You should be willing to spend some money to make money. If you are not going to do kids shows regularly, then I would definitely say no. Why put in the investment for one show?

Hey Sluggo I really don't appreciate you attacking me like that ... Maybe I'll take your little piece of advice that you gave in between attcking me the whole post, and not even helping me out like I thought a real fellow magician would do and take the show for less money or even none at all.

Crodrigues, Sluggo did not attack you. YOU attacked yourself when you made the first post. What that post said was "I have no idea about magic but this girl I am interested in asked me to do something, so I'll buy some cheap crap and pretend to be a magician." Neither Sluggo, nor I really give a rat's about your feelings and if they are hut, too bad. What we care about is our art, called magic, which has to be performed not just done as a gimmick. We care about our reputations because we have several THOUSANDS of dollars wrapped up in training and equipment that we make our living from and you have the idiocy to think "I can do something for less than $50 and be a professional."

He called you a "professional rip off," I call you a professional thief because you are stealing her money to give a poor quality show for $150/hour rate.

Crod,
I am sorry if I hurt your feelings or I appeared to harsh but I usually get that way to rip offs. The info I received from your first post is what spurred me to give you the what if. The entire content of your post screamed greed all the while trying to put on a $1.50 show.
Read your own post and tell me if you don't see what everyone else does. Your second explanation is far different from your first, Sounds like alittle back peddling to me.
I don't see a whole bunch of entertainers jumping to your rescue. I'll help and give advise to anyone who is asking for the right thing in the right way. I nor any REAL entertainer will assist you in your greedy little rip off!
But if I see alittle greedy twit out to hurt what most of us has put in an inordinate amount of time to give people real entertainment, I will be every bit as harsh as you are. Excitement is one thing, doing the right thing is another.
Chris, Paddy & Ryan- it's good to see folks out there that takes pride in what we do. After reading one greedy post after another, I think the future with the "New Breed" the gimme everything for nothing mentality is bleak and disheartening to see.
I bet the three of you put on a whale of a show.

From your post, it sounds like $50 is a lot of money to you. By the same tolken, it's probably also a lot of money to this girl who is paying you. Doesn't she DESERVE a high quality, well-routined show from someone who has invested enough time and effort into it to make it look professional? OF COURSE SHE DOES!! If you can't provide that show, then the best thing to do is to turn down the gig.

Otherwise all you are doing is ripping her off and making it harder for any other magicians in your area to make a decent living.

I get so tired of seeing these types of posts. The people who make them really don't know anything about kdis shows and how hard they are to do. Kids shows are probably THE MOST DIFFICULT arena of magic in which you can perform. Do not enter this market to make a quick buck because YOU WILL FAIL.

Like Paddy, I've been performing on a paid basis for quite some time now. This advice is not meant to be cruel. Just real.

Well... Everyone mite hate me for this, but i would sya take the job. You should perform stratosphere, peanut butter and jelly allusion, sluh powder. some ballon stuff, a couple TT tricks, Choose the ones you like most out of these. Whatever you do. Be funny. Draw a magic line of tape and say if anyone crosses it than the magic doesent work. Always be very polite to the kids. if you know how to juggle add some of that. Tell some REALLY FUNNY jokes.

PS. Ive never done a kid show so my ideas mite not be very good. (I think they are )

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